Metallic construction of aircraft



April 19, 1932. DELA E METALLIC CONSTRUCTION OF AIRCRAFT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 19, 1929 di /Q 6 N N i April 19, 1932. e. DELAGE 1,854,330

METALLIC CONSTRUCTION OF AIRCRAFT Filed Dec. 19, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 av /a 4 I eusrava names, or rams,

which, on the one the cost of construction and, on the other- P'atented Apr. 19, 1932 UNITED S ES PATENTQFEICE FRANCE, ASSIGNOB TO SOGIEI E momma: N'IEUPORT- ASTRA, 0F SEINE, FRANCE v nnunnrc cons'raucrron or Application filed December 19,"

The metallic construction of the hollow.

parts constituting 'aerofoils and, for instance, the wings of ai lanes,

and, considerably increase hand, do not aflord the advantages of light wei ht. 1 Y 7 T e extreme thinness of the covering metal sheets reduces their resistance to compression stresses. Although these metal sheets constitute an'important art of the wholeweight; further, the aer ynamic displacements of the lifting power center on a wing in the various positions of flight, require the use of wing girders of large dimensions.

Finally, the manner of assembling the parts together and, particularly, the covering metal sheets, leads to serious difiiculties from the fact that the aerodynamic torques.

The main object of the invention consists more particularly of an aerofo1l,'a wing, for

instance, constituted by two main girders adapted to withstand the .bendin stress exerted upon the wing by the aero ynamic stress, regardless of the position of the lifting power center relatively to the leading edge, these two girders being connected by a system of stay members which includes the coverin applied loca ly to one of the girders, is' transinitted to the. other girder, in order the wing may efiectively resist the various stresses to which it is subjected in flight.

The whole structure composed of the two 'rders so. stayed, constitutes, only a single ox 'rder catfielble of resisting, on the one hen the hen g stress exerte by the aeroleads to difliculties for .its main object to I in such a manner that stress 1929, Serial No. 415,352, and in name December 20, 1928.

dynamic stresses and on the other hand, the twisting due to the displacement of these stresses. 4

The system 0f stay members above mentioned is constituted by transversely arranged irders, and a panel comprisin the covermg riveted upon the auxiliary ongitudinal bearers and upon the ribs.

The invention includes also special means for assembling these anels, which means permit the assembling o rations to be carried on from the exterior o the wing. v r

The accompanying drawings show, byway of example only, a form of construction of the improvements constituting the invention, and applied to an airplane wing.

Figure 1 shows, in a perspectlve view, the

whole of a wing during the assembling work;

Fi re 2 is a perspective view showing the.

crossmgarrangementof an intermediary rib and an auxiliary longitudinal girder.

Figure 3 is a an enlarged scale, a detail of the device for the assemblage of the anels.

The girders a and are shown as being in the form of a double T, but they may be otherwise constructed. They are connected, at intervals, .by stay members a con structed in the same manner as the girders, of known members such as angle metal bars.

The girders a and I) carry at their external edges, an angle bar d intended to receive the edges of the-covering metalsheets.

Upon the girders a and b are fastened the panels which constitute the covering, and,

more'particularly, the part of the covering comprised between the girders a and b.

These panels e e e e can be seen in Fig. 1.;

v The panels e e areshown after assembling, and the panel 6, is shown during assembling work. The panel '6, is in position and forms a part of the under side of the finished wing.

Each panel eludes four different parts:

1. The main ribs f and f, the form of which is adapted to that of the wing profile,

are situated at each end of the panel.

2. The auxiliary longitudinal girders g,

the form of which is particularly shown sectlon'al view showing, on

Fig. 2, are of tubular form with T-shaped 9 web and base portions which are riveted on the auxiliary longitudinal girder g, without necessitating notching the tubular part of the latter. Therefore the stren h of the girder is not materially reduced by t e passage of the ribs.

The whole of the panel 0 so constituted is compact and strong; it may be separately manufactured and entirely riveted by means of riveting machines, owing to the fact that all its parts are accessible.

The auxiliary longitudinal girders g. (Fig. 3) are provided at one end, with a tubular projectlng member 9' fitted into the tubular art of the auxiliary girder g and suitably astened to the same.

The tubes y" are provided with ta ered ends girders, stays and anels form a box girder which is capable o efiectively withstanding bending and twisting stresses to which the win is subjected.

T e leading edge and the trailing edge are secured upon this box girder.

In Fig. 1, the leading edge m only is shown; it is divided into parts the length of which is equal to the distance between. two stays 0.

Each art, separately manufactured, carries auxiliary longitudinal girders 7' identical to those of the panels; it enters the precedin one and is riveted upon the girder in front 0 the stay. For that purpose a folded edge at is provided which is secured by riveting to the flange of a U-strip, 0, riveted upon the cm the exterior.

The trailing edge is assembled in the same manner to the girder a; it is constituted by parts identical to those of the leading edge.

The very simple mounting of the difl'erout parts of the wing, the possibility of manufacturin these parts in special worksho with all t e conveniences afforded by in e gendent manufacture of the several parts reuces the cost of production to a minimum.

facilitating their introduction; t ese tubes What I claim as my invention and desire to serve also as tenons for assembling and holdin panels together.

0 put a panel in position, it is placed as shown at a (Fig. 1) so that the tenons j are justopposite to the tubular parts of the auxiliary girders g of the panel e which has been previously placed in position.

Then, the panel e, is pushed'so that the tenons j engage completely the auxiliary girders g.

It is only necessary to rivet, on the one hand, the edge In of the rib f on the edge of the stay 0, and on the other hand, the ends of the covering 72. on the angle bars (3 carried by the girders a and I).

So secured and put in position, the panel a is ready to receive the next following one.

The riveted joints rovided, either at k, or at d, are external an accessible; they insure, on three sides, the perfect connection of the girders a and b with the covering, which is rendered stifl by adding the auxihary longi tudinal 'rders and'the intermediate ribs 2'. On the ourth slde, the panel is connected to the auxiliary girders g by means of the tenons j of the preceding panel; this latter is strongly secured to the stay a and consequent- 1% to the girders a and b, by the medium, on t e one hand, of the rib f which supports the metal sheet and connects it to the auxiliary girders upon the side from which roject the tenons j, and, on the other hand, t rough the medium of the rib f which bears against the rib f. Both ribs are respectively connected to the auxiliarg girders g by means of collar rin Z rivete upon the latter.

The who e arrangement constituted by secure by Letters Patent, is

1r Inan airplane wing with metallic coverin a central structure comprising two lon- 'tu 'nal girders braced by cross members orming box-elements, the outer wall of which consists of the central metallic covering of the wing, two cross-ribs forming the lateral walls of the said box-elements the spacing of which corresponds to that 0 two adjacent cross members of the said central structure a flange on one of the said ribs and adapted to be riveted to a cross member, a plurality of longitudinal tenons on one of the ribs of a box-element so that the securin of one box-element to an adjacent one is e ected at one end by riveting the flan e of a rib to a cross member, and at the ot or end by the engagement of the said tenons in com lementary recesses formed in the adjacent ox-element, fittin s on the outer parts of the main longitudinal box like elements the outer wall of which constitutes the covering of the rear and frontal edges of the wing, two lateral ri 'd walls or ribs of the said box-elements, a ange on one of the said ribs and adapted to be riveted to one of the former, lon 'tudinal tenons on one of the said ribs so t at the securin one box-element is effected at one on by riveting and at the other end by the engagement of the said tenons in corresponding holes of the adjacent box-element.

2. In an airp ane wing according to claim girders of the central structure,

girder b; the riveting can be easily carried on 1 box elements, the-outer wall of which constitutes the central metallic coverin or the covering of the leading edge and of t e trailing edge of the wing, tubular spars and transverse ribs fixed to the inner surface of the a plura wall of the box-element constituting the coverin a tenon fixed at one end of the said tu ular spars, the distribution of the latter on the box-elements being such that the tenons of a box-element are adapted to engage with the tubular spars of the adjacent box-element.

3. In an airplane wing having a metallic covering, a central structure formed of a plurality of main box-elements each of which comprises a pair of main longitudinal "rders, a plurality of auxiliary longitu inal girders, each provided with a longitudinal tenon which projects beyond the end of the main box-elements and a recess for receiving the projecting tenon of the adjacent longitudinal girder, a pair of cross-ribs on each end of the box members, a cross-stay member 0 in alignment with each cross-rib, each crossrib and its adjacent cross-stay adapted to form one of the ends of the box element, and means for securing the cross-ribs to the crossstay members.

- 4. In an airplane wing having a metallic adapted to form one of the ends of the box element, means for securing the cross-ribs to the cross-stay members, a box-like metalhe covered element forming the frontal and the rear edge of each wing section comprising a lateral side rib having a plurahty 'of tenons projecting therefrom, a second lateral rib having a complementary recess for the tenons therein, a' flange on one cross-rib adapted to be riveted to a flan e of the adjacent cross-rib and to the a jacent main girder, each edge section being thereby joined to its adjacent section by means of the interlocking tenons and their recesses, and the riveted connection between the edges of the lateral side ribs.

5. In an airplane wing composed of a series of adjacent box-elements, each adaglietcii to be assembled as a unit before being together to form the central structure of the wing comprising a pair of longitudinal main girders forming the sides of the box- 0 elements, a pair of integrally joined crossribs anda stay member forming the ends of the box element, a metallic covering having' stiffening means therefor forming the top and bottom of the box element, means for connecting ad acent sections comprising- 'ty of tenons projecting into an adjacent section,

aid tenons in the latter,

ng the sections ges on each and means for securing s fourth means for connectl comprising a pair of rive pair of main ribs and sta In testimony whereof I specification.

have signed this GUSTAVE DELAGE. v 

